Sheet-metal bending machine



July 31, 1923. 1,463,383

c. P. BUCK SHEET METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed April 18. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEY5.

July 31, 1923.

1,463,383 c. P. BUCK SHEET METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed April 18. 1921 a: w I I N 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 IIVITNESS: Q INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS July 31, 1923.

1,463,383 C. P. BUCK SHEET METAL BENDING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18. 1921 INVENTOR. G FBI/oak.

BY g5 ATTORNEY5.

July 31, 1923.

C. P. BUCK SHEET METAL SENDING MACHINE Filed April 18. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 31, 1923.

C. P. BUCK SHEET METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed Abril 18. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lV/TNESS A TTO/(NE K Patented July 31, 1923.

SHPET'METAL-YBEN' DING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1921. Serial No. 462,129.

1 i fi 7 I To alZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES P. BUCK, citizen of the United States, and resident of Topeka, county of Shawnee, State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Imprbvement in Sheet-lvIetaIl-Bending' M'achilies, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to sheet metal bending machines, and more especially to machines for providing sheet metal with marginal flanges, and the object of the invention is to produce an efficient machine of this character which is rapid and accurate in its action and of simple, strong, compact and comparatively inexpensive construction.

With this object'in View the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of'parts as hereinafter de'sri'bed and claimedg'and in order-that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1, is a rear view of a sheet metal bending machine embodying the invention. Figure 2 is a top plan View of the invention. A

Figure 3, is an end View of the machine with certain parts broken away to niore clearly disclose parts in the backgroun'di Figure 4, is a vertical section on the line IV-IV of Figure 1; with certain parts shown in their initial positions.

Figure 5, is a similar view but with certain parts shown in the position which they have attained when the bending are sheet of metal has been accomplishe Figure 6, is a horizontal section taken sub stantially on the line VIVI "of Figure 3.

Figure 7, is an enlarged vertical fra' entary section taken on the line 'VII-l I of Figure 9.

Figure 8, is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line VIII-VIII of l igure' 3.

Figure 9 is a perspective View of one of the sides of the frame of the machine.

Fi 'ure 10 is a horizontal section on the line 1 -X of Figure 4, with certain parts omitted.

Referring now to the drawings, in detail, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 indicates the sides of the machine, each side including an upright portion 1, disposed inward of the main portion of the adjacent side and united at its lower end to the same as at l, the spaces between portions 1 and 1, being bridged by portions 1, bifurcated at their rear ends and provided with alined bearing holes 1 which extend through the adjacent portions 1 and '1, as shown'clearby Figure 5, these bearing holes constituting the axis of movement for a movable or bending jaw, as hereinafter explained. The sides -1 are connected at suitable points by tiebolts 2, and spacing sleeves 3 fit around said tie-bolts and hear at their opposite ends against the said sides. the tie-bolts extends through portions 1, and the corresponding sleeve 3 bears at its ends against said portions 1".

Spaced from one end of the machine is a standard at, which in conjunction with the adjacent side, constitutes a journal support for a shaft 5, equipped with a fast pulley 6, a loose pulley T, a fly wheel 8 and agear pinion 9, the latter meshing with a ear wheel 10, upon one end of a shaft11 'extending horizontally from one side'ofthe machine to theother and journaled'in the sides 1 rearward of the portions 1 thereof.

Secured upon the opposite end of shaft 'l l'is a gear pinion 12 meshing with a large gear wheel 13 journaled on a prolongation of shaft 14 journaled in bearings formedhy sides 1 and caps secured thereto, the end of the prolongation of said sliaft' bein journaled in a standard 15. The said s aft is equipped with a. j'ournaled sprocket wheel 1'6 connected by a sprocket chain 17 with a lar'e sprocket wheel 18 journaled upon one end of a shaft 19 journaledin the'sides-bf the frame.

' Chnnecting the sides of the frame near the front thereof. is a transverse beain'or stationary jaw 20. provided at its upper edge with a hard metal wear-plate '21, and overlying said jaw and wear plate, is a reciprocatory clamp jaw 22 for vertical movement between the portions 1. of the sides, and between vertical guides 23 and 21 at the inner sides of said portion l. The reciproiatory jaw is provided at each end'with alined extensions 22, extending through vertical slots 1' in the ortions 1 of the sides. for a purpose which is hereinafter explained. A worm wheel 25 is arranged within an opening in the jaw 22 (see Figure 2). and mounted on a shaft QG'extendinn through slots l and journaled eccentrically in jaw 22. and said worm wheel is engaged by a worm 2T equipped with a hand i ,l v

One of i wheel 28 whereby the worm wheel may be turned for effecting a fine vertical adjustment of the jaw 22 to accommodate the gauge or thickness of the metal sheet to be bent. The jaw 22 is provided at its rear face with a hard metal weanplate 29 to cooperate with the wear-plate 21, and another wear-plate hereinafter mentioned, in the bending operation.

To impart the downward or clamping movement to jaw 22 and upward or unclamping movement thereto, the ends of shaft 26 are co-axially journaled in and connected by a pair of links 30 to pins 31 of disks 32 fitting in openings 33 and journaled in bearin s formed by portions 1" of the frame. (Nee Figure 8.) Projecting from the inner sides of said disks are pins 34, pivotally engaged by links 35, having slots 36 fitting over the shaft 19, and said links at opposite ends of said slots, are provided with antifriction rolls or pins 37 and 38 for engagement with cams39, mounted on said shaft 19, the arrangement being such that the rotation of said shaft shall cause said pins to alternately apply pressure in opposite directions on said ins and thus impart rocking movement to tfie disks 32 and hence effect up and down movement of jaw 22.

Pivoted on bolts 40, secured to the lower portions of portions 1 of the sides are links 41, and said links are pivotally connected by links 42 with a movable bending jaw 43 adapted to normally occupy a vprtical position against the rear side of the stationary jaw 20, or to extend horizontally rearward with respect to and at the upper end of said jaw, said links 41 and 42 constituting toggles for swinging movement through the spaces between the sides and portions 1 thereof, and between the lower ends 1 and the bridge portions 1, and to expand and contract said toggle. links hereinafter identified, are employed.

At opposite ends of the jaw 43 are rightangle shaped ears or extensions 4:4: (see Fig ures 1 and 7), projecting into the spaces between the sides 1 and side portion 1, and pivoted on the pivot pins 45 mounted in alined perforations 1, as shown most clearly by Figure '7. The upper end of the movable jaw is provided with a wearplate 46 of hard metal, the upper surface of said plate standing flush with the upper surface of plate 21 when the said 43 occupies a vertical position. as shown by Figure 4. When the said jaw has been swung upwardly to a horizontal position for the purpose of producing a flange on a sheet of metal, the normally upper surface of the wearplate 46 occupies a vertical position spaced hack of the wear-plate 29 of jaw 22, a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet of metal. To expand and contract said toggle for the purpose of effecting the operation of said jaw, links T are pivotally connected to the toggles at the break-joint points thereof, and are provided at their opposite ends with boxings 4-8 pivoted on the crank arms 49 of shaft 14, the operation of which shaft effects the operation of the said A right-angle shaped gauge plate 50 normally rests upon the wear-plate 46, as shown by Figure 4, one of its arms projecting vertically upward back of the wear-plate 29, and said gauge plate 50 is provided with a recess 51 for receiving the end of the plate which is to he flanged. to gauge the width of the flange. For carrying said gauge plate, a pair of arms 52 are secured to it at their front ends and are pivoted at their rear ends at 53 to the sides of the frames, the arrangement being such that when the jaw 43 is swung upward it pushes the gauge plate to inoperative position, as shown by Figure 5, said plate resuming its original position when the jaw is lowered.

54 is a hand lever pivoted to one side of the frame and projecting forwardly there from for convenient use by the operator who inserts the sheet of metal to be bent in the machine, and said lever is connected by a link 55 with a bell-crank lever 56 mounted on the same side of the machine, the opposite end of said bell-crank lever being connected by link 57 with an arm 58 pivoted on the frame and extending through a rod 59 mounted in a cylindrical casing 60 rigid with said side of the frame. The rod is normally held by a spring 59 against a clutch member 61 mounted to slide upon and rotate with shaft 19. Springs 61 bear against a plate 61 fixed on shaft 19, and tend to cause said clutch member to move outward upon said shaft and eiigage the companion clutch member 62 rotatable with wheel 18 to effect rotation of shaft 19 and through the cams 39 and links 85, downward and upward movement of the jaw 22 to alternately clamp and release the metal plate to be flanged. Clutch member 61 is equipped with a cam 61 for effecting unclutching movement when one revolution is completed, by engagement with rod 59.

In the interim between the clamping and releasing actions mentioned, the bending jaw 43 is operated to flange the plaic. through the operation of the following mechanism A clutch-member comprises a plate 63, a slidablc toothed member 64-. a journaled toothed member 65 rigid with wheel 13-3. and a series of springs 66 tending to force member 64 into engagement with member 65 and bearing against plate 63 which is fixed on shaft 14.

To unclutch said clutch members. a rod 67 is adapted for engagement with a cam 64 on member 64, and is disposed for such engagement,by a spring, 68. within arcylinder 69 through which the rod extends, the cylinder being mounted on the frame. A rook-lever 70 fulcrumed on the cylinder engages the rod and is connected by a link 71 with an arm 72 of a short shaft journaled in the frame, said shaft having a dependingarm 73 standing in the path of rearwardmovement of a lug 74 on one of the links 35, so that as the latter moves rearward, the rod 67 is withdrawn from the member 64L, and as this occurs, the springs 66 effect the clutching of the jaw members and consequent operation of shaft 14. and jaw 43.

Immediately after the rod 59 is withdrawn to effect the automatic clutching of clutch members 61 and 62, the lever 54 is released to permit said rod 59 to be re stored to position whereby it shall declutch said members at the end of one revolution thereof, and it will be also understood that as the link 35 carrying lug 74 reverses its direction of movement, the spring 68 repositions rod 67 to cause the same to effect declutching of clutch members 64 and 65, both sets of clutch mechanism remaining declutched until the lever is again depressed, thus giving all the time necessary to remove the flanged plate and replace it with another to be flanged.

As the operation of the machine has been fully described in connection with the description of the parts thereof, no recapitulation of the entire operation is deemed necessary, it being understood that I reserve the right to make all changes falling Within the principle of construction and mode of operation involved and the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal bending machine, comprising a frame, a stationary clamping jaw, a movable clamping jaw, a driven'clutch member, a shaft having a cam and a slidable clutch member, means tending to clutch said clutch members together, manually controlled means for holding the said clutch members declutched, and means operated by said cam in each revolution, for imparting clamping and unclamping movements to said movable clamping jaw.

2. A sheet metal bending machine, comprising a frame, a stationary clamping jaw, a movable clamping jaw, a driven clutch member, a shaft having a cam and a slidable clutch member, manually controlled means for holding the said clutch members declutched, a rocking disk, a link pivoted thereto and provided with pins for alternate engagement by said cam during each revolution thereof, and links pivotally connecting the disk with the movable clampmg aw.

3. In a sheet metal bending machine, a

st.tionaryjaw, a movable jaw for cooperating with the stationary jaw, a shaft extending through the movable jaw, means connected to said shaft for reci 'nrocating said jaw toward and from the stationary jaw; said shaft having an eccentric portion engaging said movable jaw. a worm wheel on said shaft, and a manually-operable worm engaging said wheel to turn the same on said shaft to effect relative adjustment-between said jaws.

4. A sheet metal bending machine, conn prising a frame consisting of a pair of sides secured in rigid relation and inner portions rigid with and spaced inward from said sides, a stationary jaw connecting said inner portions, a movable jaw above the stationary jaw and provided with extensions projecting through said portions and over the said sides, means connected with said extensions for raising and lowering the movable jaw, a bending jaw between said portions of the sides and pivoted in line with the upper rear corner of the said stationary jaw and operable between the said portions of the sides, means to operate the bending aw, and a movable gauge normally resting on the upper end of said bending jaw, and adapted to be raised to inoperative position by upward or operative movement of said bending jaw and to gravitate back to its initial position when said bending jaw is lowered to inoperative position.

5. In a sheet metal bending machine, a suitable frame, a driven shaft thereon. :1 pair of journaled shafts extending parallel with the driven shaft, wheels jour naled on said pair of shafts and geared together and to the driven shaft, and respectively provided with clutch members, a stationary clamping jaw for said frame. a movable clamping jaw, clutch members rotatable with and slidable on said journaled shafts, yielding means for actuating said slidable clutch members to engage their respective companion clutch members, manually-controlled means for determining such engagement between one set of said clutch members, cams mounted on one of said journaled shafts, means for transmitting power from said cams to the movable clamping jaw, means for normally holding the other set of clutch members inoperative, means actuated by the means for imparting movement to said movable clamping jaw, for tripping the said holding means, and means for transmitting power from the last-named set of clutchmembers to the said bending jaw to swing the same from a vertical or inoperative to a horizontal or operative position and back again.

6. In a sheet metal bending machine, a suitable frame, a driven shaft thereon, a

llU

pair of journaled shafts extending parallel with the driven shaft, wheels journaled on said pair of shafts and geared together and to the driven shaft, and respectively provided with clutch members, a stationary clamping jaw for said frame, a movable clamping jaw, clutch members rotatable with and slidable on said journaled shafts, yielding means for actuating said slidable 1 clutch members to engage their respective companion clutch members, manually controlled means for determining such engagement between one set of said clutch memhers, cams mounted on one of said journaled shafts, means for transmitting power from said cams to the movable clamping jaw, means for normally holding the other set of clutch members inoperative, means actuated by the means for imparting movement to said movable clamping jaw, for tripping the said holding means, means for transmitting power from the last-named set of clutch members to the bending jaw to swing from a vertical or inoperative to a horizontal or operative position and back again, and a movable gauge normally resting on the upper end of the swinging memher and adapted to be displaced by the latter when swung to an operative position and to return to initial position by gravity when said bending jaw is returned to normal position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES P. BUCK. 

